Well I said that I wouldn't ride around being angry and vindictive, but if I had a chance to chat with someone about something they'd done to me, then I would. And I did.

I was riding into my work complex which has it's own legal and public road network, indicating to go left at an intersection (from the through road of a T-intersection to the adjoining road). Then a ute appears next to me, also indicating, and proceeds to overtake me on the corner with his back wheel level with me. The intersection is very tight and there was a car waiting to turn right. He came pretty close but it wasn't too bad, but I gave a shout anyway (haven't fitted a horn to this bike!). I was in the left wheel track of the lane approaching the turn.

Anyway, him and I were going to pretty much the same spot so I spotted him getting out of his ute and approached for a chat. Well he wasn't really interested, telling me how you shouldn't be on the road in his book etc blah blah, but I was calm and just tried to convey that overtaking anyone on a corner like that is unsafe.

My question is, is it? It's been happening to me a bit lately. A lot of the corners are quite wide and so I don't really think much of it, other than "you wouldn't do that to any other road user" and "you're looking right while I'm on your left in your blind spot, but yes, you're probably aware of me". But this corner was very tight. If he had have waited for me to be through it, it would've added about 5 seconds to his trip.

It might anger idiots like him more but perhaps take the corner a lot wider? If you're right in the middle of the lane when you corner then it will be physically impossible for them to overtake you without running you over (though some people will do just that).

Yeah, I did think of that, and if I'm approaching a T-intersection from the road that intersects with the through road then I make a point of doing this. But in this situation, I wasn't too far right because most traffic continues straight through this intersection on the two lane road I was approaching it on. I usually stay left so that cars can get past me - not because I don't feel like I should be there or anything, more to be courteous.

Similar situation is those turn left at any time lanes at traffic lights. Whole bunch of cars lined up and the cyclist sticks to the left and goes onto the main road (onto the cycle lane). It appears a easy merge, if the car turning left decides to cut close to the apex at the right/wrong time, the cyclist is going to be in trouble.

I this situation I always wait behind the first car, look and see if there is a steady stream of traffic coming before moving on.

WestcoastPete wrote:Anyway, him and I were going to pretty much the same spot so I spotted him getting out of his ute and approached for a chat. Well he wasn't really interested, telling me how you shouldn't be on the road in his book etc blah blah, but I was calm and just tried to convey that overtaking anyone on a corner like that is unsafe.

It amuses me that some people don’t think it through. Like people who steal car parks. Dude, you just ticked someone off in your car, now you’re going to walk away and leave your car unattended whilst the other person seethes in anger?

myforwik wrote:The australian road rules requires that a driver turning left keep as far left as practical. This would seem to prohibit overtaking when making a left turn.

Not really, if the cyclist stays as left as is practical, then there will be room (or perceived to be enough room) for a car to overtake on the outside. It would no be practical for the car to stay as left as possible since there is a bike there.

Anyways, to the OP I suggest either slowing down so you can stop. I would have stopped when the car was level with me. Would not have been a nice stop ... but I would never take on a car in that situation. Or take up more space, screw the courteous to other road users bit if it's going to put you in a more dangerous position, as you said it would only be for a brief period.

I wonder how the ute driver would react if a motorbike pulled that same stunt

fictional ute driver wrote:I was driving into my work complex which has it's own legal and public road network, indicating to go left at an intersection (from the through road of a T-intersection to the adjoining road). Then some lunatic on a motorbike appears next to me, also indicating, and proceeds to overtake me on the corner with his back wheel level with me. He came pretty close but it wasn't too bad, but I ...